Natural Stream Watering?

[Folly's place]

It's best to keep them out of the stream, for all the above reasons. You could use that water for them, if it's clean enough, in containers in the coop or run. I wouldn't, myself, I'd much rather use actual known potable water instead.
Mary

 

[hillbilly91]

Yeah, y'all are worried about whether the water is clean enough for the chickens to drink from, pollution and stuff that might be upstream, but have any of you given a thought about what is going to be downstream once that water has passed through the chicken pen?

Yes, chicken poop is biodegradable and great for the soil once it has been properly "processed", however that takes time and running the stream right through it fresh from your pen's floor is not going to be very healthy for that stream.

Just sayin.....

The chickens wont hurt the stream any more then they hurt it now. When it rains poop gets washed in it from more then just chickens. No harm

 

[ShannonR]

The chickens wont hurt the stream any more then they hurt it now. When it rains poop gets washed in it from more then just chickens. No harm

Supposedly the water becomes purified after about 100 feet of running downstream, but it's not something I would count on 100%. High concentrations of fecal matter could cause more problems than just bacteria, for instance how about algae growth downstream?

 

[hillbilly91]

Supposedly the water becomes purified after about 100 feet of running downstream, but it's not something I would count on 100%. High concentrations of fecal matter could cause more problems than just bacteria, for instance how about algae growth downstream?

So you mean to tell me when it rains, poop don't get washed in the stream? Or where do the fish poop? Even if you put the chicken run going threw the stream it wouldn't change anything. Having chickens near the stream or threw the stream with a run is one and the same.

 

[BYC910]

Without meaning to be rude. You people are way out there .All of you better do a water quality test on your city water ,well water what ever . Float a duck in a still water pond . With many a chicken drinking out of the pond. But not let a chicken drink from a running stream If the stream will support aquatic growth then a bird can water out of it . If the stream runs clear most of the time . And has a good flow then I see no problem with it . Wish I had one . Have wet weather streams that dry up quick . With new EPA regulations you might need to limit access to the stream .They prefer that you not fence across a stream ,or allow total access by farm animals . Rather fence along the stream with small access areas, where they can water but not wade into the stream . I doubt your small flock will do much, if any damage to the quality of the stream . Slow moving streams tend to pollute easier than fast moving water. You can check with your local ASCS office for rules and regulations, pertaining to stream access.

 

[Folly's place]

From a practical standpoint, having a safe limited access for a few chickens would be difficult; easier to use those waterers!
Mary

 

[ShannonR]

So you mean to tell me when it rains, poop don't get washed in the stream? Or where do the fish poop? Even if you put the chicken run going threw the stream it wouldn't change anything. Having chickens near the stream or threw the stream with a run is one and the same.

The high concentrations of poop that would get into the stream from having a chicken run or livestock paddock as part of the streamed itself certainly does have potential for harm. Yes, poop gets washed into creeks on a normal basis but not very high concentrations of it.

I suggest you look up commercial poultry farming, and check out some of the measures they need to take to prevent streamwater contamination from chicken poop. Same thing applies to feedlots.

 

[FlyWheel]

Excellent post, thank you for mentioning that! It's something I worry about as well... the chickens do free range, but I have set the livestock pens several feet away from my own creek. I am sure there is still runoff to a point, but I don't let the cows mire about in the creek and poop in it or anything. It sure would be easier to let the animals water themselves, though!

So you mean to tell me when it rains, poop don't get washed in the stream? Or where do the fish poop? Even if you put the chicken run going threw the stream it wouldn't change anything. Having chickens near the stream or threw the stream with a run is one and the same.

Have you ever wondered why contractors always place a home's well far away and uphill from the septic tank's leach lines?

When it rains the poop usually gets dissolved and filtered through the soil where bacteria break it down long before it soaks through to a water course. Besides, the concentration of fecal matter in a pen is much greater than would be found in an open field where the chickens are much more spread out.

What I would do is, if you can, place the coop away from the stream and run a sluice line from it and through the pen then back outside where it can drain through clean soil (or even back into the stream). The sluice will keep the stream water from getting polluted with chicken $#!t as well as give them a nice water trough they can drink from.

You can also incorporate a system to collect rainwater for their needs. That's what I do for my ten.

 

[hillbilly91]

The high concentrations of poop that would get into the stream from having a chicken run or livestock paddock as part of the streamed itself certainly does have potential for harm. Yes, poop gets washed into creeks on a normal basis but not very high concentrations of it.

I suggest you look up commercial poultry farming, and check out some of the measures they need to take to prevent streamwater contamination from chicken poop. Same thing applies to feedlots.

I suggest basic common sense. If the same number of chickens is kept in pens near the stream or are allowed access to the steam the water is contaminated equal. Same goes for cattle, horse, sheep, goat, and so on pastures with creeks and streams and rivers all get contaminated, just don't overpopulate. Wild animals poop in and near water all the time. Animals die in and close to water every day somewhere. Just use common sense

 

[MissChick@dee]

Oh Lordy~I have a creek 300 yards from my house. It attracts all kinds of predators. Didn’t think anything of it till I got chickens